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Police arrest 3 young teens in beating death of South Dallas man

Police say a group of children attacked and killed a 61-year-old man in South Dallas.
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Dallas police have arrested three teens in the beating death of Sam Lee Morris, 61, a South Dallas man who was killed on his way home from the grocery store. The suspects, two 14-year-olds and a 13-year-old, face capital murder charges.

Numerous news outlets including The Daily Mail have described Morris as disabled. He's also reported to have suffered from diabetes and walk with a limp.

Around 10 pm on Saturday June 8, Morris was walking past Prince Hall Apartments in South Dallas with grocery bags in tow. Police say a group of children as young as 10 devised a plan to rob Morris and viciously attacked him.

"They chased him, and they swarmed him," said Maj. Jeff Cotner of the Dallas Police Department.

The teens hit Morris repeatedly, causing him to fall into the street, where he was eventually struck by a car. Morris was transported to Baylor Hospital and later pronounced dead.

Police interviewed more than half a dozen youths who witnessed the crime but ultimately decided only three teens were responsible for Morris' death. Cotner said he did not know if Morris was already unconscious when the car struck him, but he believes the victim was at least stunned by several blows to the head.

"We believe that the injuries he sustained when he went into the roadway most likely caused his death," Cotner said. An autopsy is pending.

The driver of the car has not been identified and Cotner says there are conflicting reports of the car's description. Police believe that several people stopped to render aid after Morris was struck and the driver fled, but they have not come forward.

"It's very important for the community to help us out," Cotner says.

Anyone with information in this case should call Det. Eric Barnes 214-283-4818.